The newest addition to the NYK Bulk & Project Carriers fleet, the next-gen heavy-lift carrier Katori made its first port call at Nanao in Ishikawa prefecture, Japan on Wednesday, October 6. The vessel is transporting wind turbine equipment loaded at the port of Dalian and port of Jiangyin, China.

The vessel, ordered by NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers, a NYK Group company, was built by Jinling Shipyard. The delivery of the vessel was completed on September 8. In the future, Katori will be engaged in the transportation of various types of cargo, including LNG (liquefied natural gas), power plant cargo, and wind power generation equipment.

This ship is equipped with two 400-ton cranes and be able to lift up to 800 tons of heavy cargo. The hold is about 95 meters in length at its maximum without any bulkheads. The vessel is hatch coverless, which allows for navigation with the hatch cover open. The bridge is placed at the ship front, enabling the loading of tall and large cargo without worry of any disruption to forward visibility during navigation, NYK Line said in its statement on Thursday.

As an environmental benefit, a significant reduction in fuel consumption has been achieved compared to existing ships of the same type with the cooperation of Japanese marine equipment manufacturers. In addition, the vessel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet in advance EEDI (Energy Efficiency Design Index) Phase 3 requirements that will become effective in 2025.